I am a mother of three and new to the writing scene with very little writing experience. I work fulltime and don't have much time to write but this will be my first attempt at working at it hard. I have done a little poetry and hope to write a short story with the help of others who can give me some guidence. I live in northern CA and I used to live in Los Angeles area growing up.
Welcome, Forgetmenot! I'm glad you've taken an interest in writing. What genre are you most interested in?
Thank you for answering me so swiftly. I appreciate you being there so many other places don't have someone there.
No problem. Many other writing forums aren't as active as this one. As soon as you're in need of any guidance, feel free to PM me.
Hello ForgetMeNot, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize reviewing as a critical writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Hi there Forgetmenot77, I'm also a transplant from Socal. Left the Orange County area and moved to Sacramento to give the kids better environment. That was many years ago and we've never regretted the decision. As far as this site, you'll find there is a wealth of support and knowledge at your fingertips. The "rules" are pretty simple...if you want to get your work reviewed, you must provide such services for others first. If you wonder "how" to review, take a few minutes to study the sticky under Writing Issues: Reviewing...it is by Cogito and it's very clear. Here's the link: https://www.writingforums.org/showthread.php?t=5513 Good luck with your writing and enjoy the site.
